Trains

A High Frequency Rail Project has entered the next phase of planning in Canada. 3 groups of companies were selected at the end of the Request for Qualifications stage. Each group will now produce 2 proposals by the end of the summer: one for a conventional speed line made for trains capable of travelling up to 200km/h (124mph), and a second for high-speed trains (>250mph/155mph).

I think the idea is that Parliament wants to see how much more high speed will cost, if it is something they can swallow.

Battery trains will begin operating each hour between Liverpool Central and Headbolt Lane.

The battery technology removes the need for a live third rail, which could enable the Merseyrail network to run in places previously inaccessible, including as far as Manchester, Wrexham, Warrington, Preston and Runcorn.

Exciting development!

A Hydrogen Powered Train Test in Québec by Alstom

Stuttgart (Germany) Public Transport Rail explained

Part 2

From Wikipedia:

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km (55 mi) long. It climbs from about 100 m (330 ft) above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,200 ft) at Darjeeling, using six zig zags and five loops to gain altitude. Ghum station is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). Six diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled service, with daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghum – India's highest railway station – and the steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. Steam-enthusiast specials are hauled by vintage British-built B-Class steam locomotives. The railway's headquarters are at Kurseong.

On 5 December 1999, UNESCO declared the DHR a World Heritage Site. Two more railway lines were later added, and the site became known as one of the mountain railways of India.

The incident did not significantly delay a separate Brightline train making its inaugural trip on Friday morning from Miami to Orlando, a company spokesperson said. That train pulled out of the Miami station sometime before 7:30 a.m.

Kind of a sour note on what was supposed to be celebratory day.

It's rail safety week, please stay alert around tracks! Don't become the next victim.

choo choo mew

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe Rail Safety Week. Hopefully the notorious derailment incident in East Palestine, Ohio will help more people keep safety in mind while around rail infrastructure.

Know what to do if you get stuck on the tracks at a crossing while driving. Get everyone out of your vehicle and 15m/50ft away from the tracks, locate the emergency rail operator number and crossing identifier and call it (Blue sign in the US), or call emergency services if you can't find it.

I'd go to Madison if I didn't have to drive

testing federation

After a summer of no service, the Adirondack Amtrak line is set to resume service out of Plattsburgh on Sept. 11.

About fuckin time!

I really like how Apple Maps shows not just local rapid transit lines, but also the national carriers of many countries like Japan and even the US and Canada, but I know there's more out there (for instance, Alaskan Railway and Ontario Northlands Polar Bear Express).

Anyone know good resources for this? I am aware of openrailwaymap, but it's a bit more than what I am looking for.

Article title is a little weird.

California issues an RFQ (Request for Qualifications) in preparation of buying trainsets capable of travelling around 220mph (355km/h), two prototypes, a simulator, spare parts and operational availability for 30 years. Timeline for revenue operation currently is at year 2030.

E: Official release from California government: https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/08/24/news-release-california-high-speed-rail-authority-moves-closer-to-buying-first-trainsets/

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/4693864

Southern Pacific #4449 at Portland Union Station. The locomotive will depart with an excursion train the following morning.

Photographed in Portland Oregon, September 2006.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/4208955

Spokane, Portland and Seattle #700 on the turntable at Union Pacific's Brooklyn Yard in Portland. When this photograph was taken in September 2006, both SP&S 700 and SP 4449 were housed in the Brooklyn roundhouse. Neither the roundhouse nor the turntable remain, but 700 and 4449 now reside in the publicly accessible Oregon Rail Heritage Center.